21 Maret 2016

Lipid
Recent medical trends encourage us to know our bodies and actively participate in
maintaining a state of wellness. Health clinics and seminars presented by medical centers and
distinguished medical professionals encourage us to accept some responsibility in the monitoring
and managements of our own lives in order to keep fit both physically and mentally. In these
informal arenas for learning to care for ourselves, perhaps one of the hottest topics has been
cholesterol and its well-publicized relationship to heart disease. As laboratory professionals, not
only do we take responsibility for our own bodies, but also we are obligated to assist others in
our community to care for theirs.
Since good health depends not only on the avoidance of harmful substances but also on
the proper functioning of our body cells, the harmful effects of hyperlipidemias seems at odds
with the need for lipids to preserve function. The nature and function of lipids as a metabolic
fuel, as material for membrane construction, and as critical biochemical for use in numerous
pathways make them indispensable. As an energy source, lipids provide more than twice the
energy harvested from oxidation of an equivalent amount of protein or carbohydrate 1.2 and at the
same time tend to be more compact since water of hydration is excluded from the storage form.
The exclusion of water because differences in polarity means that lipids tend to associate
with each other. We find small groups of them congregating in micelle formation to facilitate
their movement through the polar aqueous medium of our bodies. On a slightly larger scale,
mixtures of lipids associate with proteins forming the various lipoproteins. Finally, large masses
of lipids gather in specialized cells to compose the adipose tissues, which serve both for
insulation from the highly variable external environment and as visceral and subcutaneous
cushioning to protect our internal organs.
The water insolubility of lipids does have a disadvantage-namely, problems with
participating in reactions in an aqueous environment. As a result, lipids are not easily digested
and require complex transport mechanisms for movement within the body. In the laboratory
setting, their hydrophobic nature and relatively large molecular masses create problems in their
accurate measurement. In the past, this has meant working with hazardous chemicals in fairly
lengthy procedures, although currently better methods exist.
Ultimately, all of us depend highly on lipids in living organisms. We harness the energy
from petroleum products, a lipid legacy from animals of a millennium past, for transportation,
sustenance, and ultimately, survival. On a smaller scale, our own bodies use lipid stores to
generate high-energy phosphate bonds for the intricate systems of organized chemical reactions
and metabolic processes. Especially in the fasting state, this represents a critical source of energy
for muscle tissues, and cardiac tissue prefers lipids for this purpose.
The nature and function of lipids suggest a useful definition for them: Lipids are organic
compounds that are actually or potentially esters of fatty acids, used by living organisms, and are
soluble in organic solvents but insoluble in water. It should come as no surprise that the

definition, as with many other biologic compounds, links structure and properties. First, the
nonpolar property of lipids renders them insoluble in water but soluble in various nonpolar
solvents. Second, in considering the fatty acid (long-chain hydrocarbons with terminal carboxyl
group) as a common chemical component, we find that lipids tend to be or potentially are an
ester of fatty acids. Finally, since life itself depends on the availability of this very important
family of compounds, the use of these compounds by living organisms becomes an important
property.
Classification
Fatty Acids
Fatty acids have the general formula R-COOH. Where R is a long-chain (12 to 26 carbon
atoms in length) hydrocarbon. If all the bonds between the carbon atoms are single, then the
molecule is a saturated fatty acid. Fatty acids with one double bond between carbons are called
monounsaturated fatty acids, and those with two or more double bonds are polyunsaturated. A
few of the more commonly referred to fatty acids are listed in table 10.1.
Glycerol Esters
Tryglycerides (triacylglycerols), the prevalent glycerol ester in plasma and tissue storage
fat (95% triglycerides). Have fatty acids attached to all three carbon atoms of the glycerol
backbone (10.2). A simple tryglyceride contains three identical fatty acids, whereas a mixed
triglyceride contains different fatty acids.
Tryglycerides from animal sources tend to have fatty acid chains that are short and
saturated and tend to solidify at room temperature. Those from plants tend to have longer chains,
which are polyunsaturated and remain liquid even at refrigerator temperature.
Phospoglycerides are glycerol esters that contain a phosphoric acid group on one of the
end carbonds of the glycerol backbone (10.3). Other groups may be attached to the phosphate
portion to differentiate the various phosphoglycerides. Hence, a choline molecule attached to the
phosphate group forms phophatidylcholine (lecithin). Similarly, ethanolamine,

Monounsaturated Oleic Acid

CH3(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)7COOH
Saturated stearic acid
CH3(CH2)16COOH

Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Both fatty acids have 18 carbons, but the double
bond between carbons 9 and 10 differentiates the two.

Basic Formula
Lecithins. R1 and R2 are fatty acids. When X is hydrogen, we have a phospatidic acid
intermediate. Phospholipids with X units of ethanolamine, serine, or inositol are commonly
found in brain tissue. When X is choline [(CH 2)2 N(CH3)], the compound is a lecithin. Lecithins
are important components of cell membranes, lipoproteins, and the liver and brain. They are also
essential for the production of lung surfactants.

Sterol Derivates
The primary sterol derivative in humans is cholesterol. From cholesterol, our bodies
produce both primary and secondary bile acids, the steroid hormones, and vitamin D. the
perhydrocyclopentanophenanthrene structure, the basic structure of cholesterol are shown in
Figure 10.4.
The hydroxyl group at carbon atoms 3 commonly accepts